[MLIT] Revision of the “Guidelines for Better Barrier-Free Public Transportation”

On April 1, 2022, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced that it had revised the Guidelines for Better Barrier-Free Public Transportation in March of the same year.

Public transportation operators, road administrators, off-street parking lot administrators, park administrators, owners of specially designated buildings, and owners of specified buildings are to comply with the Barrier-Free Standards. For some, it is mandatory; for others, it is an effort, according to the enforcement order (Cabinet Order) and enforcement regulations (Ministerial Ordinance) of the Act on the Promotion of Smooth Transportation for Elderly Persons, Persons with Disabilities, etc. (Barrier-Free Act).

In addition, various guidelines are provided for each facility as a concrete guide on how improvements should be carried out.

The Guidelines for Better Barrie-Free Public Transportation is formally named “Guidelines for the Development of Smooth and Efficient Mobility in Passenger Facilities, Vehicles, etc., and Services in Public Transportation.”　The Guidelines are divided into three sections: Passenger Facilities, Vehicles, and Services. The Guidelines are updated as necessary to meet the changes in social conditions and the current needs of users.

The contents of this revision are as follows.　

  1. New obligations were set out to comply with the standards of providing services using passenger facilities and vehicles as per the revised Barrier-Free Law of 2020.  Also, in accordance with the Universal Design 2020 Action Plan, a column explaining the “new model of an inclusive society” was added to these guidelines in order to promote the correct understanding among businesses and other sectors regarding barrier-free concepts and the social model of disability.
  2. Regarding the wheelchair-accessible space on limited express trains, the Railway Bureau established a study group of organizations of persons with disabilities,  railroad operators, etc.  As a result of repeated discussions and demonstration tests, the group introduced a wheelchair-accessible space on the same level as that on Shinkansen trains. The contents compiled in 2020 were added in January 2022.

For more information, please visit the website below (Japanese only):
https://www.mlit.go.jp/report/press/content/001475413.pdf

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